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August 12, 2011

As more and more people adopt social media use its easier to connect to students, staff, and faculty at Mount Allison.

That is evidenced particularly well when it comes to athletics related accounts at the school. While the main hub for information on Mounties Athletics and Recreation remains the department website and major mentions are shared on the main page, Facebook and Twitter, and the new Mount Allison Athletics Facebook page, there are a number of other unofficial accounts posting about Mount Allison athletics.

Note: This is not an endorsement of any of the accounts mentioned below by myself or Mount Allison University. It is simply for your reference.

The first account is @Nova_Canuck on Twitter. Run by the Argosy's sports section editor Robert Murray, you'll be sure to find a lot of sports news stories highlighted there throughout the year.

Fifth in this 20-part
video series is third year biology student David Summerby-Murray talking about how incoming students can
get involved in athletics at Mount Allison University.

Mount Allison has 18 Varsity and Club sports teams, in
addition to a variety of intramural teams. Try out for a varsity team, play on
a co-ed intramural team with your friends in residence, or even start a league
of your own. There are a lot of different ways to get active with athletics at
Mount Allison at different skill and commitment levels. Joining a team is a
great way to have fun while balance academics and staying in shape.

August 11, 2011

So to take a very short detour from the video posts for a moment I'd like to share a very short video clip:

It's from, Waking Life, a philosophical film about, among other things, the concept of free will.

While working on the tips I've thought a lot about what it was like when I first came to Mount Allison. There was a second year student who was back on campus early and he came to the Karaoke BBQ (which unfortunately had technical amp-exploding issues that year but will not this year) and he said to me and a few newly found friends something along the lines of "Don't let this opportunity pass you by. There's like a month where you can randomly walk up to people and start new friendships and then people go back in their shells." It reminded me of the film, of the above section in particular and being jostled off of autopilot. Your first few weeks here are that moment extended.

It does end at some point. People find their niche and their main 'friend group', let's say, and then eventually turn on autopilot for most everyone else. This is your opportunity to take advantage of the small time you have where you're surrounded by people who are actively looking for new friends. Don't waste it sitting in your room.

You'll have plenty of time for that around exam time when you're studying for exams. See you all in three weeks.

Fourth in this 20-part
video series for the Class of 2015, Alex Dalton (fourth-year international relations)
and Avery Wheeler (fourth- year environmental studies) share what they wish
they knew before they came to Mount Allison.

The one thing I wish
I knew is that with a little bit of effort and being social the first few weeks,
there’s really no way you won’t meet a great group of people. Mount Allison is
known for its close-knit community and building lifelong bonds. The bottom line
is that while you may not become the closest of friends with everyone you meet
during Orientation Week, you'll find at least a few you will be friends with long after
your time at Mount Allison. I know I did.

August 10, 2011

I just wanted to make a quick comment on the "20 Tips in 20 Days for first-year students" video project I've been working on. In less than 50 hours there have been over 600 views of the three video tips posted so far and an incredibly positive reaction on both Facebook and Twitter. I'm glad to see you're all enjoying them. Again, I am not the only one who has worked on this project. All of the credit for videography goes to eCommunications Coordinator Nadine Leblanc. In addition, these videos are student voices so, again, thank you to everybody who volunteered their time to help tell the story of Mount Allison University.

Tomorrow morning's video is features students responding to the question "What's one thing you wish you knew before you came to Mount Allison?". One part serious and one part funny but both parts useful I think you'll enjoy it.

Friday's tip is... a secret. You'll have to check back here on Friday morning or go to http://youtube.com/mountallison (and subscribe) to see what Friday's tip is. This project is all about open communication so feel free to comment on my tip posts, the announcements via the Facebook Page, and on the videos themselves to let incoming students know your tip on the topic.

To share your ideas for future videos you can post comments on our YouTube channel.

There are 17 more to share with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as you're enjoyed the videos so far.

In the third post of a 20-part video series, Sarah Underhill, who expects to graduate in May with a double major in history and anthropology, talks about experiencing theatre on campus and around Sackville.

You’ll notice here that there are theatre productions most weeks of the year. There are many groups to join and watch, both on and off campus, such as Black Tie Productions (musicals), Garnet and Gold Musical Theatre, Windsor Theatre (drama), Tintamarre (bilingual troupe), Live Bait Theatre, and Festival by the Marsh.
You don’t even need to be a drama major to participate in theatre. Friends of mine who aren’t bilingual, or even drama students, performed in Tintamarre’s production of Bouffe! — improving both their French and acting skills. Be sure to come out to at least one show a year. I personally recommend seeing at least one Black Tie production a year — you won’t be disappointed!

Second in this
20-part video series is my friend Alex Dalton (fifth-year Honours international
relations) discussing the best way to choose the club that fit you at Mount Allison.

Every year Mount Allison's student government, the Students' Administrative Council (SAC), organizes an activities fair (known as the SACtivities Fair) every September during Orientation Week. This event features
most of the clubs on campus which actively recruit new members every year. This is your
chance to sign up for as many club mailing lists as you'd like to find out more about the club to decide if you're interested in coming to meetings.

I would recommend
finding at least five clubs that really pique your interest and find out more
information. Once you go to a few meetings, you’ll discover which ones you’re
likely to stick with and you can simply ask to be removed from the other lists.
This way you get the find what’s a match for you and your schedule.

To give you an idea
of what’s possible, I started out as an entertainment writer for Mount Allison's student
newspaper The Argosy, was on
multiple SAC committees and did Leadership Mount Allison my first year. Now, in
my fourth year, I’m the Online Editor for TheArgosy and the Atlantic International Studies Organization and lead Mount Allison’s Amnesty International Chapter. It might take you a while to decide what you’re most passionate about,
but you can be sure that you’ll find something you like and if you dedicate
yourself to it, you can have the opportunity to lead groups in your upper years. Also, if there's an interest you're passionate which there isn't yet a club for on campus it's easy to start a new group and, if approved by the SAC, be eligible to apply for funding.

August 8, 2011

Your first days at
Mount Allison are approaching quickly. In the first of a 20-part video series,
below you will find a tip featuring fourth-year student Beth Whitfield (honours biology). The tip is about making the most of your
first few weeks at Mount Allison.

The most important
thing to do in September (besides go to class, of course) is to really branch
out and step out of your comfort zone as much as possible. My first day at
Mount Allison I was unpacking my stuff in residence, thinking about all the
technical things I had to do (open a bank account, figure out my classes and
get some food) and someone walked by and said hello. Today he is one of my best
friends and we are roommates in an apartment this year.

I really can’t stress
enough how important the first few weeks are to your success here. Doing well
in class and being involved in extracurriculars is important, but your first
couple of weeks is really meant for you to adjust to life on your own and make
lasting friendships. The upperclassmen are so welcoming and all the first-year
students are just trying to find where they fit in, just like you. I met some
of my closest friends during Orientation Week and I’m sure you will too.

Before I share with you the video I have to give credit to the others without whose hard work these videos wouldn't have been made. In particular, credit goes to Tony Frost for direction, Nadine Leblanc for videography and Melissa Lombard for editing and other support, and of course to all the students who volunteered their time and experience to help. While we were unable to use all of the footage we'd like to that you all for your time and effort in helping new students to successfully adjust.

Again, I simply asked the questions and what you'll hear is honest and hopefully helpful advice relating to your time at Mount Allison. We hope you enjoy and find these videos helpful as you begin your journey to University life.